Think Maintenance During the Holidays
After reading the book ‘Break Through your Set Point' by Dr. George Blackburn, and another book called ‘The Thin Book,' I became intrigued by the idea of set points. This concept explains why our bodies will not always respond with weight loss week after week, despite our tireless efforts of eating healthy and exercising. Counter-regulatory hormones protect our bodies against weight loss, such that there may be a ‘false' plateau for every 10 percent of weight we lose. During that time it is very important not to get discouraged. You cannot force more weight loss except by extreme restriction, and then you might be losing muscle and not fat.
Now, with the holidays coming up, this is a perfect time for people to practice maintenance. You see, we must learn how NOT to gain weight just as we must learn how to lose weight. This idea of maintaining is very tough, because you must do it for the rest of your life.
A perceived "vacation” from healthy eating, or in this case, a holiday, does not mean we can go wild with our food choices. A maintenance diet is the diet you will ultimately go on for the rest of your life in order to maintain your weight without gain or loss. It is very important to adjust to this maintenance diet as soon as possible and over as long a period as possible. Success in adjusting to the maintenance diet will ultimately result in your long term ability to continue NOT to regain weight.
People get so incredibly discouraged if they find themselves "on a plateau” with weight loss, despite losing a significant amount of weight already! It's important to realize that, despite a plateau, the ability to NOT GAIN WEIGHT is a HUGE success. Around the globe our major problem is preventing the re-gain of any lost weight, no matter how big or small that loss was.
This is a perfect time of year to practice maintenance. All of us will have to face holidays, parties or vacations where excessive food is available. It's during these times that we must learn to control our portions. Don't overload the plate. Eat slowly. Try to be the slowest eater at the table. If you must have dessert, have a small piece. Watch out for all the candies, cookies and crackers lying around. Avoid these and instead stick to veggies and assorted cheeses as finger foods. Remember: this is your body and your health; treats may look inviting but they are loaded with sugar. Similarly, you don't want to face the New Year having to lose 5 or 6 more pounds.
Wouldn't it be a fantastic feeling to not gain over the holidays? It is important to plan and think about how much you will eat, and how much you will drink. We may not be able to control what is being served, but we have control over the quantity we allow ourselves to eat. So, think about the following points as you approach the holiday season:
1. Never get discouraged if you have lost some weight and are on a plateau. If you are not regaining, that is a great success story.
2. During holidays, think in terms of maintenance (no gain). This will mean watching your portions and snacks carefully.
3. Think ahead – have a plan before you visit your relatives or friends. For example, "I will have only one plate of food and one very small dessert - that is all;” or, "I won't accept snacks before dinner, or afterwards when we are sitting around.”
It isn't easy, but you CAN do it. Just hang in there, and never ever give up trying!
Dr. Doug